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When you see actress Erica Hubbard on her hit show Lincoln Heights, it’s easy to assume that she’s exactly like her character Cassie. And in a way you’d be right. The gorgeous actress says that her on-screen father Eddie Sutton (Russell Hornsby) was strict just like her real father. She also admits the episode of Lincoln Heights she just filmed reminds her of a time when she left home without her parents permission, only to be in extremely hot water when she got back.

It’s these similarities that help Hubbard portray a believable performance as Cassie especially when it comes to the onscreen romance between Cassie and Charles (Robert Adamson. “[W]hen I was in high school, I dated someone outside my race. I dated an Italian guy. When I first get on the set and they tell me that my character will be in an interracial relationship, I was like ‘Oh, okay. I’ve done that before.’ Robert and I just clicked instantaneously because I had been there before in a relationship like the one with Charles and Cassie. And while Erica shares a few things in common with the quiet, artsy Cassie, it’s the differences that make the up and coming actress someone to keep your eye on.

After four years of being on a drama, Hubbard is looking to shake things up with a couple new projects that will hopefully ward off the shadow of typecasting which can be the kiss of death for even the best actor’s career. “I do worry about getting pigeon-holed because a person isn’t the same in every situation. I maybe the outspoken girl in one instance but I maybe the quiet, shy girl in another situation. As an actress, I want people to say “Erica is versatile, she can play any role…I think as a human being, we all have a little bit of every single personality embedded with us.” Set to premiere in August, Erica’s returning to comedy with a new urban comedy, The Misguided Adventures of Dating in Hollywood. Starring with Tatiana Ali and Essence Atkins, the actress will be showing a more outspoken side she rarely shows on Heights. “In some scenes I’m telling girls, ‘uh uh. Don’t do that!’ Finally, I get to tap into that side of myself.” The actress is also set to star in the horror film 10,000 Doors, where hopefully the black woman won’t be the first to get the ax.

“If I can do this work and take them away from their life whether it’s a family drama or a comedy, then I’m happy.”

The self-described shoe-addict (she claims to sleep with her favorite pair) loves being an actress, but she loves giving back even more. She considers her job as an actress as one of those ways. Erica also gives back through her own foundation where she goes back home to Chicago to speak to inner-city youth. Passionate about her footwear, art and her community Erica Hubbard’s career has only just begun. Expect big thing from her in the form of more starring roles and some producer credits. “I just love the art of filmmaking, the way it just taps into people’s emotions… That’s one reason why I’m happy to be doing what I’m doing in the entertainment industry.”